Rio Paralympics Games silver medalist Deepa Malik with her family in her residence. Image Source: Xtra Time[/caption]Deepa Malik – Initiate Yourself in Living Without Excuses
New Delhi, Debasis Sen: Deepa Malik doesn’t need an introduction. The 46-year-old has inspired millions with her willpower. She is the first Indian woman to bag a silver medal in shot put at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio. Deepa’s personal best throw of 4.61 meters in the women’s shot put F-53 final helped India win silver at the Games. Xtra Time caught up with her for an exclusive chat in her residence in Gurgaon a day after her return from Rio. Here are the excerpts:
What does The Rio Glory Mean to You?
The Rio Glory definitely has a larger than life meaning for me. Firstly, on a personal level it is a sense of great achievement because Olympic podium – Paralympics is at par with Olympics podium. To be able to win a medal for your nation and have the national flag flying high in the stadium of Olympics, it’s a huge honor. It is also the epitome of your sports journey to win that high level medal. But apart from that since it has created a history of being the first women medal in Paralympics, I think it will become a medium of inspiration. It will become a source of awareness. I hope hereafter we see many more women coming forward and participating in the world of sports specially the physically challenged sport.
How Difficult was It for You in The Initial Days When You Decided to Take Up Sport?
I think sports became my major medium of empowering myself also because as long as I was seen as a patient on the wheelchair, going for my rehab to the physiotherapy centers. But the moment I shifted gear into sports and instead of doing my training and exercises or occupational therapies in hospitals, same exercises I started doing in stadiums and gymnasiums. People gradually started to look at me as a fit person. I could erase the wheelchair in the eyes of society.
Can You Take Us to The Challenges You Had to Face in Your Life?
I think the biggest challenge is the body itself because my day to day routine are very challenging. I had three spinal tumor surgeries, over 180 stitches between my shoulder blades. I have chest below paralysis. Between the shoulders I have three major surgeries with no spinal support due to the repetitive tumor management. I had other complications like thyroid. In the 46th year I had gynecological issues to deal with. So if one has been able to erase the disability with it all the challenges also disappear. I feel one should avoid picking up excuses and look more for the solutions. So whatever was the journey, my determination was pretty focused.
The Country has seen Women Taking a Center Stage in Recent Times With The Exploits of You, Sakshi, Sindhu And Deepa Karmakar. How Important Role Does Sports Play in Empowering Women?
I guess sports have immense potential of empowering women. It has also become a huge source of employment. In a way we will also make a global standing for a country because it is one of the major measuring scale for a nation how it stands, where it stands on the global map. So, I think empowering women and contributing towards sport is the need of the hour.
How has Missing out on a Medal at The London Games Motivated You to Do Well in Rio?
I think God has its way and the destiny takes its own course. When I look back if I had reached London Paralympics arena I probably would have been just a participant because my level of preparation and maturity level was not that high. Now that I have been to Paralympics and have seen the pressure that athletes are under, so this four year of experience and international exposure at various competition has only given me the edge and resulted into the medal.
The Government is Still in Double Minds on Giving Away the Best Sporting Award – Bharat Ratna to Physically Challenged Athletes for Bringing Glory tTo The Nation. What is Your Take on The Entire Issue?
We still don’t know yet we don’t get it. Who said we will not get it. There is ambiguity around. I am a very positive person and knowing the equal opportunities the current government is giving to the physically challenged and given that honorable term Divyang. And with so much of stress on the accessible India campaign so much so that the prime minister celebrates his birthday with physical challenged children and their empowerment. So I don’t see that the acceptance of Khel Ratna will not come. It’s just a matter of tweaking a policy and I am sure it will be done.
Your Inbox and Twitter Seems to Be Full of Congratulatory Messages. What does This Recognition Mean to You?
I think the very fact that the President and Prime Minister of India have congratulated me taking my name is a huge honour. There is not a single known person who has not tweeted about this medal. A point came when my daughter WhatsApp me ‘ma ma you’re trending’. And I said what does that mean. She said you are having the maximum tweets. So all this gives a huge hope. The very first day I arrived, I was greeted by Amitabh Bachchan ji, Baba Ramdev ji and the famous duo Sakshi and Dipa. It was a very mesmerizing moment. I think it’s been a beautiful journey.
You Did Spend a Couple of Years in Calcutta. How Enjoyable were Those Days in The City Of Joy?
Yeah, ha ha ha . ‘Ami Bangla bujhte pari ektu ektu. Ha ha ha ha.’ Yes the most beautiful two years in my life. They were the grown up years, final teenage years, with a lot of stunting quietly on the Hastings docks and taking the trams to Salt Lake School. I was initially admitted in Kendriya Vidyalay in Salt Lake, but later shifted to Fort William where I became the school captain in 1987 batch. I was a good student also and took active participation in all the sports. I still remember the lovely puchkas and jhalmuris. They were fun days. I remember I was allowed to watch an English movie on Sunday. I could still vividly remember tickets those days cost us only Rs 2.50, and we used to save money to have a big egg roll which cost us Rs 1. It was all fun those days.
Talk Us about Your Love for Motorsports
My life has been a story of wheels. I have no sadness seating on a wheel chair because I am so much in love with wheels. The wheels of the bike and the wheels of my motorsports rally vehicles. It has been a lovely struggle of getting sponsorship and even making people believe in me that I can drive even with this disability. I can do the high altitude drives; I can be on these terrains. I want to do speed sprints. So, this journey of getting permissions and rally licenses and then eventually going to do it was very challenging. But yes when you have a mind to it you can do it and I am glad that I have kept these passions alive within me.
What will be Your Message to The Physically Challenged Sportsmen and Sportswomen of The Country?
I think the main message I should give out is take initiative and stop living on excuses. If you have a passion and if you have a dream, then you should have the courage to fulfill the dream. You can only do it by putting your heart and soul in it. Be positive, work hard and enjoy what you do. You are ready to win an Olympic medal.
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